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11.17.2016

#TheAmericaWeWant: Periods for Pence & Tampons for Trump

Many women have a good damn reason to dislike Trump and Pence - because Trump and Pence are bad for women. Not only has Trump been accused of sexual assault many times (including the alleged rape of a child) but he's actually bragged about grabbing women "by the pussy." He has promised to overturn Roe vs. Wade and even spoke about punishing women who choose abortion. Pence has a history of legislative actions that harm women - including multiple bills that significantly increased restrictions on abortion and leading the charge to defund Planned Parenthood.

Women have started fighting back in a way for which women are particularly well suited -- with their periods.

Earlier this year women began trolling Governor Pence by sharing TMI details about their menstrual cycles. In response to one of his more heinous anti-choice laws (one that forced women to endure high-risk pregnancies), women began calling his office to share graphic information about their periods in order to make the point that the government need not be involved in what they do with their bodies. The Facebook page "Periods for Pence" (now "Periods for Politicians") currently has over 86,000 likes.

Now Gabrielle Diekhoff, founder of Clitorally Zine and a contributor to Bust, has taken #PeriodsforPence a step further and started #TamponsforTrump. Women aren't just contacting Trump to tell him about their periods, they are sending them to him. Not literally of course (it is a federal offense to send real blood or other bodily fluids in the mail) but close enough... she is encouraging women (and men) to send tampons and pads and other "period paraphernalia" soaked in fake blood to Trump and Pence.

Some people are also sending photos of period-inspired art to Trump and Pence on Twitter and Instagram. Diekhoff admits that sending Trump and Pence tampons might not be the most productive method of protest (though it is certainly a good method of expressing frustration). She recommends also doing your part to help the women and other marginalized people affected by Trump and Pence's misogyny.

People have already been making donations to Planned Parenthood and other organizations that aim to protect a woman's right to choose in Mike Pence's name. Diekhoff recommends also donating menstrual products to those in need (like a women's shelter) or volunteering at a rape crisis center, for example.

If you'd like to send tampons or letters to Trump and Pence you can send them here: